Strokes Of Charcoal
by Lakshmi
Summary: PG 13 for further chapters. AU, too. Um, everybody is a student at the university for arts, and i won't say anymore. ^_^Read...


AN: hey guys, what's up. Yeah this is SilverMistAngel, except I have a new penname. So anyway, just thought I should let you guys know.  
  
^_^  
  
um, a fair, fair warning. I have the world's crappiest writer's block, and so if some stuff sounds like it's not me, you'll know why.  
  
PS: I don't own this. Deal.  
  
  
  
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A dark figure slunk in and out of the shadows with years of practiced skill. He—since it seems inappropriate to name the figure 'it'—had a predator's smile adorning his lips. The light out of the shadows caught the gleam of his chosen weapon—a six inch dagger, wickedly jagged and curved at the end—a perfect tool for those who want to torture—and mangle.  
  
Eyes widened, sensing that dark presence looming over them. A terrified whisper.  
  
"Help…me…" A white, trembling hand reaches out, and flicks on the lamp, to show the figure bending over, easily grasping his weapon, positioned perfectly to be plunged into her stomach.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH—" the scream was cut off by a harsh kiss. Then, there was a horrifying silence.  
  
~*~  
  
Tomoyo Daidouji frowned at the sheet in her pale hands. Her hands, marred with smudges of charcoal and paint, still beautiful and elegant.  
  
The frown creased her eyebrows together, eyes narrowing.  
  
"Something STILL isn't right," she sighed, picking up her worn down eraser, and methodically began erasing a wrongly drawn line in her picture.  
  
"Anything I can help you with?" asked a voice from the corner. Tomoyo whirled around—she hadn't been aware that she was alone.  
  
"Eli, you scared me!"  
  
"Not too badly, I hope," he replied, smiling easily.  
  
Tomoyo forced a smile back, and wiped her hands on a moist towel, also stained with color. "No, not too badly," she conceded.  
  
"Good. So is there anything I can help you with?"  
  
"Um, no thanks. I'm just fine."  
  
"Well can I keep you company?" he insisted, running a hand through his raven black hair.  
  
"I…guess," Tomoyo said slowly, "It's just that I don't like people who watch me work. I mean—I don't like it WHEN people watch me work," she inwardly cursed at herself for her verbal blunder.  
  
Eli smiled slowly, but somehow it never reached his icy blue eyes. None of his smiles did. Tomoyo shivered slightly, as Eli pulled up a chair. "Thanks," he said.  
  
"Um, anytime," she said, and focused on her picture. Tried to, anyway. But she felt the burning gaze of Eli upon her. She tried her hardest to ignore those eyes, and ignore him, but it wasn't working.  
  
A strand of hair fell out of her braid, falling across her face. She didn't notice it. But Eli did. Gently, as not to startle her, he brushed the strand behind her ear with his fingertips.  
  
Tomoyo started, shuddering slightly.  
  
"I-I'm sorry," he offered, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"No, it's my fault. I—you just surprised me, that's all."  
  
"Well, I still apologize. In fact, insist on you forgiving me."  
  
"I—um, okay, I forgive you."  
  
"Thank you, Tomoyo."  
  
"Your welcome."  
  
~*~  
  
Eriol stared at the phone in his hand, a slight smirk on his face.  
  
"Eriol?" asked a voice, echoing through the air to his ears.  
  
"Um, yes?" he asked, turning to face his locker.  
  
"Well, I think that it's best if we just end our relationship."  
  
He knew that was coming. "But, why Madison?" he asked, needing to paint a desperate, upset picture for his soon-to-be ex.  
  
"It's just…you're not my type. I need a serious guy who doesn't have a problem with commitment."  
  
"I am ready for commitment, Maddy! If you'd just reconsider—"  
  
"Goodbye, Eriol," she said softly, and hung up the phone before he could say another word.  
  
"Well I'm glad that's over," he muttered, smiling. He just didn't have the heart to let down Madison, so he figured, let her hear a couple rumors, let her see a few 'incriminating' photographs behind his back, and it'll be done and over with before he knew it.  
  
He shut his cell phone off, and stuck it carelessly in his pocket. "Now I can find a new girlfriend…" he said, smiling again. Madison was boring him. He needed charisma, he needed spice, he needed excitement! All she was ever doing was reading books or poring over old Latin Texts. Why had he gone out with her again? He couldn't remember.  
  
Shrugging it off, he waltzed down the hall way.  
  
"Hey, guys," he said, walking up to a group of friends—all guys. "Madison broke it off with me," he added, grinning.  
  
Yamazaki gave a low whistle. "Already? I would have thought she would have lasted at least…what, at least half the year."  
  
"Half the year? You baka, it's only been two weeks!" shot back Tsu, rolling his eyes. "You lie too much."  
  
"Lie? I think creatively."  
  
Eriol laughed as Tsu lightly hit Yamazaki in the head.  
  
"OW!" he pouted.  
  
"Honestly, Yamazaki, it wasn't that hard."  
  
"No, if you comparing it to getting hit by a truck!"  
  
The guys rolled their eyes, and laughed.  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever," muttered Tsu, sweatdropping.  
  
"So what're ya gonna do now, Hiiragizawa?" questioned Yamazaki.  
  
"Go find me a new chick that I can call my girlfriend," he replied, smirking.  
  
"Ohhhh…so who's the lucky girl?"  
  
"I don't know," he answered truthfully.  
  
His friends started laughing.  
  
Eriol scowled mentally, and made an inner note: never be truthful to guys ever again.  
  
He 'laughed' with them. "Yeah, yeah…"  
  
"C'mon, tell us," Nami said, punching him in the shoulder.  
  
"You guys wouldn't know her," Eriol said, thinking of a new girl that he would like.  
  
"Yeah we would," Nami insisted.  
  
"You know Tomoyo Daidouji?" He replied, the name popping into his head. She was probably in one of his classes, or something.  
  
"You mean Sonomi's daughter? The art student?"  
  
ART STUDENT? His stomach dropped. All those kinds of kids were freaky…really mellow and quiet all the time, and they wore weird clothes, and were really…freaky, or at least, that was his view.  
  
"I'm in art too," he protested, folding his arms.  
  
"Yeah, he's in the special kindergarten class that specializes in stick figure drawings," teased Tsu.  
  
Eriol raised his eyebrow. "So you think that she wouldn't go out with me?"  
  
"Hey, I never said that, don't get all defensive. I don't think she even knows you."  
  
"She knows me," said a new voice, coming up behind them.  
  
"Oh, hey Eli," muttered Eriol. Eli was one of their sort-of friends, the kind they had a lot of, the kind that wanted to be popular but was missing something. The kind they used to get homework and stuff from. Besides, Eli was popular with more of the alternative kids, but he and Eriol lived near eachother, and were in a lot of the same classes.  
  
"Eriol wants to go out with her," Yamazaki said loudly.  
  
"Tomoyo? You want to go out with Tomoyo?" asked Eli doubtfully.  
  
"Well, yeah," said Eriol casually, slipping his hands into his pockets. "She inspires me to do better in art, since she's so devoted to the Fine Arts, you know, singing…dancing…painting. So I was wondering if she'd like to go on a date with me, sometime."  
  
"Oh," said Eli simply. "That's cool. Yeah, well I gotta go, just felt like saying hey. Oh, by the way, good luck with her." He said, power-walking off.  
  
"He SO likes her," chuckled Tsu.  
  
Eriol grinned. "Well if I'm gonna ask her out, I'm gonna do it now, or never. I wonder where she is…"  
  
"Actually, I think she's in the art room right now, I see her when I'm walking from Chem. Class," Takashi supplied helpfully. "Man, can you lie or what?"  
  
Eriol grinned indulgently. "I am an actor, you know,"  
  
"And a charmer of the ladies."  
  
"Maybe this Tomoyo chick is the one girl he can't charm."  
  
"Who says?"  
  
There was a small bickering about doubts on Eriol's 'charming' techniques.  
  
"Hey, Eriol were you even telling the truth?" Asked Yamazaki.  
  
"No, you idiot!" interrupted Takashi, rolling his eyes.  
  
Eriol hesitated for about a split second. "Yes, I was," he said sarcastically, laughing.  
  
"Oh. Well good luck!"  
  
Eriol shook his head, and headed off to the art room, where he would find his soon to be girlfriend. How could she reject him? He pondered. No girl had ever rejected him.  
  
He reached the room, sooner than expected, and peeked inside. A lovely girl was sitting in a room, alone, sketching on paper. She's so beautiful…he thought, then dismissed the thought. Where had that come from? Girls were 'hot' , 'fine,' or 'cute.' Not, however, 'beautiful.'  
  
Donning a shy, insecure mask on his face, he 'timidly' stepped into the room on silent feet.  
  
Tomoyo's eyes were narrowed in concentration, as she put the final touches on her masterpiece. It was wonderful, he noted, as he could see it. Her back was turned to the entrance of the door way, so she wouldn't have known that he was watching her.  
  
It was a sketch, done in watercolor, then traced over with charcoal, of a young girl, with a heart shaped face, brown hair, and evergreen eyes that seemed to shimmer on the paper. She was holding hands and laughing with a serious looking boy, with soft honey eyes and darker brown hair. Iridescent cherry petals decorated the paper.  
  
"Finally," she whispered, her tone light and delighted.  
  
"Um, excuse me?" he asked, deep voice resonating throughout the room. He didn't mean to sound so loud—the acoustics in here were painfully good.  
  
She gasped, and turned around, the sketch falling from her hands.  
  
"Who are you?" she demanded. "How long have you been there?" Her tone startled him; most girls would blush and giggle. Eriol had a feeling, however, that this girl was not like other girls.  
  
"You dropped your sketch," he offered. He bent to get it at the same time she did, their fingers brushed.  
  
Tomoyo felt a shiver crawl up her spine. He seemed so different, yet so familiar…  
  
They straightened, and he handed her the sketch that she was still holding on to. And shyly, she raised her eyes to his.  
  
His were already locked onto her face.  
  
"Can I help you?" she asked, tone cool and detached.  
  
"Um, yeah," he said, running a hand through his hair.  
  
"Don't you need to be on the football field or whatever? This is the art room," she said, her words with a little irritation and more force.  
  
Eriol stifled a short laugh. This one was a bit more challenging…fiesty. He liked it. "No, actually, I was looking for a…Tomoyo Daidouji?" he asked, voice hopeful.  
  
She eyed him suspiciously. "What do you want with her?"  
  
"Well, she inspires me, and I wanted to tell her that."  
  
"You just did." She said, voice even, belying no emotions.  
  
"So you're Daidouji-san?"  
  
"Yes, I am," she said. "Look, is that all you're going to tell me? Because you could have told me in Debate class, or something, but I am really busy and have an incredibly busy schedule. So I'm sorry…um…I don't remember your name. Hiiragizawa-san, right?"  
  
-she didn't remember my name?! Who can not remember my name?- he thought, genuinely surprised. "Yeah. Actually, there was something else, too."  
  
"And that would be…?"  
  
"Well, this is really hard for me to say…but, um…"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Well, Daidouji-san, will you go out with me? Just for a date? I mean, not really a date, just like, well, I have tickets to the Art Festival—for this weekend, you know, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?"  
  
Tomoyo was shocked. The most popular guy in school asked her out on a date. And he's not that bad looking, either, she mused.  
  
-but…but that's besides the point!- her mind argued. -this Eriol guy could mean bad trouble!-  
  
her heart replied-you remembered his name. You'd known it, the whole time!! Give him a chance…you haven't had a boyfriend in forever, and Eli is starting to become annoying. Maybe going out with Eriol can scare him away.-  
  
-ONE date. That's it. it's not even a date, really, just a trip to the Art Festival with him-  
  
-it's a date.-  
  
"Daidouji-san?"  
  
"Oh, sorry,"  
  
"So you can't go?" he asked, lowering his eyes.  
  
"No, I meant sorry I didn't answer you! I guess, I don't have any thing to do this weekend, so I'd be happy to go out with you to the Festival."  
  
His dark eyes flew back to hers, and he smiled genuinely. It warmed his pools of navy, gleaming through his thin, wire rimmed glasses.  
  
"So is that a yes?" he prompted  
  
"Yes, it is," she said hesitantly.  
  
One date wouldn't kill her or anything, right?  
  
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End! Well, till the next chapter. So how was it? Review, please, I want to hear if it was good (or not.) :P  
  
Thanks so much, and lub ya guys till next time!  
  
~me ^_~ 


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